Santa Cruz

This northern California county is home to an eclectic mix of University of California, Santa Cruz students, Silicon Valley tycoons, surfers, and left-leaning residents. Its landscape is equally diverse, with Pacific Ocean waves crashing against rugged cliffs, redwood trees towering skyward in nearby forests, and the Santa Cruz Mountains looming above it all.

The area retains some of its quirky charms, such as Mystery Spot, and its vintage attractions, such as the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, but the county's steady development of new local shops and restaurants attests to its current relevance. Santa Cruz now has enough things to do and places to eat to fill an entire vacation, but its location – just 75 miles south of San Francisco and 35 miles southwest of San Jose – makes it a great day trip destination as well.